Rural properties typically have a mail box at the end of a laneway at the side of the road. The rural mail carrier drives up to the mail box and services the mail box by delivering mail and/or picking up any outgoing mail that the owner has placed in the mail box. However, the mail box is usually located on the passenger's side (curb side) of the vehicle, which means that it is sometimes difficult for the mail carrier to reach the mail box while seated in the driver's seat. Thus, in order to deliver mail and pick up outgoing mail, the mail carrier typically has the following options:
(1) The mail carrier can reposition themselves to the passenger's seat to deliver the mail to the mail box.
(2) The mail carrier can work with an assistant that sits on the passenger's side of the vehicle. When the mail carrier pulls over in front of the mail box, the assistant can reach through the passenger's window to service the mail box.
(3) The mail carrier can drive a specially-designed vehicle that has the driver's seat on the curb side. This eliminates the assistant in (2) above, since the mail carrier can reach through his/her own window on the curb side to service the mail box.
Option (1) above can be inefficient and/or difficult to achieve. Options (2) and (3) have added cost, as they require either an additional person (as in option (2) above) or a specially designed car (as in option (3) above).